Richard Troy Gentry

richard gentry

April 12, 1957 ~ October 29, 2026

Born in: Buncombe Co., NC
Resided in: Asheville, NC

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Richard Troy Gentry, 69, of Asheville, passed away Thursday, October 29, 2026 at Mission Hospital.

Born April 12, 1957 in Buncombe County, Richard was a son of the late Troy Harry Gentry and Frances Carolina Nix. He most recently worked in sales for the Grove Park Inn, where he held many different positions in his over 36 year career.

Surviving is his sister, Debra Gentry; brother, Robert Nix Gentry; and special friends from the Grove Park Inn, Candace, Rachel, Mackenzie and Kristin.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the service, beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue is assisting the family.

Services

Visitation: November 14, 2026 1:00 pm

Groce Funeral Home - Patton Ave.
1401 Patton Ave.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 252-3535
http://grocefuneralhome.com

Add to My Calendar America/New_York 2026-11-14 13:00:00 2026-11-14 13:00:00 RichardTroyGentryVisitation Visitation 1401 Patton Ave.,Asheville, NC 28806

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Celebration of Life: November 14, 2026 2:00 pm

Groce Funeral Home - Patton Ave.
1401 Patton Ave.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 252-3535
http://grocefuneralhome.com

Add to My Calendar America/New_York 2026-11-14 14:00:00 2026-11-14 14:00:00 RichardTroyGentryCelebration of Life Celebration of Life 1401 Patton Ave.,Asheville, NC 28806

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  4. So very sorry to hear this. Sending lots of love and hugs to you Robert and the rest of the family. I will always remember riding out Helene with you both. We carried lots of water jugs! Love you ♥️

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  5. Troy, your quick wit and wonderful sense of humor always made the days brighter at Grove Park. Thank you for making my time in Food & Beverage Office that much more enjoyable and for all the laughs along the way. You will truly be missed.

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  6. One of the first great personalities I met when I stated my career at The Grove Park Inn. You always had a smile and a Hello! You will be missed. Prayers to your family. RIP Troy.

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  7. I loved working with Troy for so many years at Grove Park Inn. I could always count on him and get the scoop on what was actually going on. (With his own sarcastic commentary afterwards.)

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  8. They don’t make Managers like Troy anymore. He was one of a kind. He used to humble me pretty quickly when I thought I was cooler than I really was at GPI back in the day. Good times, great man.

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  9. Troy was the brightest light at Grove Park Inn. The associates of the hotel loved him more than he loved the hotel (and that is saying something). You are a beautiful soul. You will be missed! Prayers to you and your family. Rest in peace.

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  11. Oh my Dear friend you have no idea how much this hurts. Abundant prayers for the family holding you in my ❤️ heart always

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  12. Dear TROY, you were so wonderful to be around. Your work ethics were so great. Your personality was so fun loving. You were always there. YOU NEVER JUDGED ME. You will be so missed.

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  13. We both have fond memories of working with Troy. I am so grateful to have known such an awesome human❤️

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  14. I’m deeply saddened that my kind, loving, interesting and funny friend is gone from our sight and now with his Father God. I’m also relieved. Our friend was made in God’s image and with such creativity that we have all delighted in and loved the best. I’ll see you soon, my friend. Until then, “Mother Guadeloupe on an Ironing Board”.

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  15. With heartfelt sympathy to Robert, Debra and family during this difficult time. I feel blessed to have shared childhood memories of Richard that I will always hold dear.

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  21. I will always treasure my memories of Richard. There has never been a moment Richard and Robert have not been in my life. From grade school through high school, working together at Lums and GPI. The times together in Gatlinburg each winter, I could go on forever. I love him so much…

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  22. What a great person! You made your mark and will truly be missed. I’ll always cherish our time together. Rest easy friend.

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  26. It was a pleasure having the opportunity to work with you. Wishing you peace and hoping your family & friends find comfort in the memories you leave behind.

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  28. Troy, you brought much joy, light and laughter and were such an integral part of our GPI family. I relish our many shared shenanigans over the years. Fly high, sweet friend.

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  29. I will cherish our years at Erwin and ‘75 class..
    We will meet again where the beautiful clouds and the rainbow bridge meets in that sweet by and by..
    God speed Richard..
    God bless Robert and family..🙏

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  31. We in the Western Carolina University Theatre Department Niggli/Loeffler Era Group are so saddened to hear of Richard’s passing. He and Robert were our great friends while in college at WCU. We can only imagine how Robert feels at losing his Big Brother and lifelong best friend. Please accept hugs and prayers of comfort to you and all of your family and friends, Robert. We love you. Rest well Richard…🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽⭐️🌹

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  32. My heart is broken to learn of the passing of my dear Troy. We met 11 years ago at work and became fast friends. We immediately bonded over our love of Frasier, Arrested Development, The Office, David Sedaris books, and of course all things true crime. He was exceptionally smart, incredible at his job, and very, very quick witted. To know him was to love him. With a word and a Reese’s cup, he could make anyone passing by his desk who was having a hard day start laughing. I always looked forward to his feedback on how WLOS did with their morning news when I pulled into work. In fact, often the best part of my day was our long walk to and from the hotel from the employee parking lot (uphill both ways!), staying behind talking as the other employees left. He was one of the first people I told the news I was pregnant on one of those walks. I also loved our covid zoom happy hours with Jim, doing terribly at trivia nights and our annual Biltmore trips with Michelle. I’ll always remember him as the king of memes, the Bertha whisperer, and a wonderful prankster. I’ll miss him answering the phone in his best Frasier Crane voice “I’m listening.” He was like a walking history of the Grove Park, always sharing amazing stories ranging from his time with Mrs. Sammons to wearing a hard hat serving guests meals while the Spa was being built. I can’t imagine a Grove Park without him there. I will always cherish my 10+ years of knowing you and being your friend.

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  34. Oh Troy! So many incredible memories of our days in F&B at GPI! The trips we took, camping and Oscar parties were always so much fun! Your light shines bright! Thank you for your friendship, wit and laughter. Your memory will forever live on in our hearts!

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  36. I had the good fortune of working with Troy for a short time last year. He welcomed me, my family and pups. We shared some good laughs every day. I often told him to take Sat and Sun off. Well… now my friend you get all days off and no one deserves it more. Rest comfortably and may your memory be a blessing to all that you touched in this world.

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  37. This one hurt. No words to truly describe this man, because you don’t meet someone else like him twice. Troy was the only person I’ve ever met who was more sarcastic than me, and that is what instantly hooked me. I genuinely looked forward to coming to work every day knowing Troy would be there by my side to keep my spirits up and made sure I had everything I needed, as well as making me laugh until I cried. I wish COVID hadn’t cut our time working together short. Rest in peace, and prayers to your family. The world will miss you greatly.

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  39. I’m so saddened to see this! I have fond memories of all of you — growing up in the west Asheville area. Debra and Robert, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

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  40. We were sad to hear of Richard’s sudden passing. Prayers for Debra & Robert and other family and close friends.

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  41. I’m just lost at words to believe you are gone.We worked together for a little time at Biltmore Dairy Bar . You and I when together at our proms at AC Reynolds and Erwin .I will always hold those times close to my heart. Rest in peace and fly high my friend.Debra and Robert I know how hard this has been. May the Lord give you peace and strength in the days ahead.

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  42. Troy, was the most incredible, good hearted person and I am honored to have had the privilege to know him. The things he experienced and the mark he left on every person he met and touched in his life won’t be forgotten. Rest easy, Troy, and prayers to all your family and friends who were like your family.

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